Newsletter

Black Toenails? We may have the solution....

Whether you are a runner or you know someone who is, you will have heard about (or sadly experienced) a black toenail which can feel very painful, take an age to grow out and it may even fall off!

So what causes this kind of damage to the toe?

A black toenail is a bruise or a blood blister which has formed under the nail. This can be caused by ill fitting shoes, and not necessarily shoes that are too small either. If the shoes are too big, your foot can slide around inside the shoe and the longer the distance you're running the more likely you are to have a bruise at the end of it. It may be that the toe box on your shoe is not wide enough or the height between the upper and insole is too narrow for your foot. If you have one or all of these instances occur you have found the culprit.

However if you have checked these and are confident that your shoes fit you perfectly then it may simply be a case of pushing your body too hard too soon. The force and friction from repeated foot strikes on the ground can cause this kind of foot trauma and if you're not used to that level of exercise, the signs will show up on your feet. Maybe you are heading out too fast or too often? Maybe you are taking in too many hills? The best solution is to take a look at your training and correct where you might be going wrong. Increase your distance, time and speed gradually. This allows the body to keep up and adjust. As you improve, so does your bodies ability to cope with the increased activity levels.

If you have tried and tested the above and you still feel that you need some added protection then we might have the product for you. Our Toe Protectors are made from a super soft, high grade silicon which stretches to fit any toe. You can use it to prevent blisters between the toes but also to cushion the toes to help prevent the dreaded black toenail. They are washable and re-usable and you get 2 per packet.